Book Image

A BIM Professional's Guide to Learning Archicad

By : Stefan Boeykens, Ruben Van de Walle
Book Image

A BIM Professional's Guide to Learning Archicad

By: Stefan Boeykens, Ruben Van de Walle

Overview of this book

A BIM Professional’s Guide to Learning Archicad is a comprehensive introduction to all that Archicad has to offer for creating 3D models, 2D document extracts, and related outputs. This book is not a click-by-click series of recipes, but rather focuses on helping you understand why and how Archicad works by providing realistic examples and expert tips. The book gradually introduces you to Archicad tools using ample examples. It then helps you master its complexity through clear modules, allowing you to start your first project quickly, gain useful skills in subsequent projects, and keep using the book as a source for insights into the software. You’ll start with the basic modeling of construction elements and then move on to adding roofs, stairs, and objects to the project. Next, you’ll dive into basic drafting and 2D views for creating 2D output, and grasp how to use attributes and more advanced modeling tools for designing curtain walls and sites. The concluding chapters will show you how to extract and visualize your data and automate the publishing of your extracts and 2D documents into a variety of output formats. By the end of this book, you’ll have gained a solid understanding of Archicad, how to implement it efficiently in your architectural projects, and how BIM can improve your overall design workflow.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
1
Part 1: Getting Started with Archicad – Project Setup and Essential Modeling Tools for Your First Residential Project
9
Part 2: Becoming an Archicad Professional – Learn About Archicad Tools and Settings to Create and Publish Any Type of Project in Full Detail

Getting started with drafting tools

Although 2D drawings and other outputs are derived from the central 3D model of the virtual building in a BIM workflow, sometimes we still need 2D drafting tools in the design and construction process. 2D elements are added for various reasons: annotations, markings, visualizing legislation (e.g., plot boundaries), quick elevation sketches, or simply enhancing the presentation of the design.

Archicad has very good 2D drafting tools that allow the user to do all this and more. Most of these tools have a similar workflow to their 3D counterparts, so learning how to use them should not be that hard. Keep in mind, though, that the resulting 2D elements are less “intelligent” than 3D objects, elements, or spaces. They can have multiple properties, which we can use for visualization purposes (using Graphic Overrides – discussed later in Part 2, Chapter 13), but we will not be able to add them to any Schedule (also explained in Chapter...